Archive for the ‘GM EV1’ tag

Modern electric cars seemingly fall into the same category as politics or religion, and it’s virtually impossible to discuss any of these topics today without getting into a heated conversation. Proponents of electric cars are quick to point out their environmental benefits, not to mention the long-term potential for cost savings based on reduced maintenance expense and the inherently cheaper price of electricity versus gasoline. Opponents, on the other hand, will point out that electric cars are cost-prohibitive to purchase, lack sufficient range or require impractical recharging times. Perhaps it’s fitting, then, that the forerunner of the modern electric car (and, some would say, of the modern parallel or series hybrid) would also turn out to be one of the most controversial cars ever created by General Motors: the EV1.

The EV1 started out life as a concept car, the General Motors Impact (which itself was based upon the Sunraycer, a solar-powered race car), first shown at the 1990 Los Angeles Auto Show. Public reaction to the Impact was overwhelmingly positive, which led in part to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to believe that practical electric cars were just years away and in 1990 mandate the sale of Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) from major automakers by 2003. In fact, CARB’s stated goal for 2003 was that 10 percent of cars sold by major automakers in the state of California be ZEVs, which meant that automakers had precious little time to develop such vehicles.

The first-generation EV1.

Roger Smith’s announcement that GM would build the Impact came as a shock to everyone involved in the concept project. While the technology existed to build a prototype safe enough for the GM chairman to drive onstage at an auto show, it was nowhere near ready for the general public. In the early days of the program, engineers worked with test mules based on everything from the compact Geo Storm to the Lumina APV minivan. Initial designs called for a front-drive configuration with dual electric motors, but this was later dropped for the lighter and more energy-efficient single-motor design that the EV1 would ultimately adopt.

The Impact’s body styling evolved in the name of practicality, too. Narrow, stylish headlamps and taillamps were replaced with units more suited to production, and the front fascia was reshaped for better airflow and less drag. The Impact’s flowing and organic shape was retained, as were its skirted rear fenders and aerodynamically enhanced magnesium wheels.

Given the need to develop all-new technology relating to battery management, regenerative braking and ancillary systems, the fact that the end product, the GM EV1, made its market debut in a little more than six years is nothing short of miraculous. The initial batch of cars (now called the EV1 Gen 1) was “priced” at $33,995, though consumers could take delivery only via a leasing program. For the first stage of the model’s rollout, only Saturn dealers in Los Angeles and San Diego were able to deliver EV1s, though GM spared no expense on marketing and promoting the car. To the eager anticipation of EV1 lessees, deliveries began on December 5, 1996.

The EV1’s futuristic cockpit.

First-generation cars were saddled with heavy and relatively inefficient lead-acid batteries that delivered a modest range of about 50 miles per charge, but early adopters were passionate about their futuristic two-seaters. Actor Tom Hanks praised the car’s performance on late-night television, while a cinematographer on the Star Trek: Voyager television series produced his own commercials for the car, believing that GM had lost interest in the project after the car’s debut. In its first year, 288 customers leased the EV1, and many believe that General Motors was tightly controlling the number of EV1s released to the public. It’s no coincidence that the majority of EV1s were leased by celebrities and politicians, giving GM the maximum amount of exposure for its efforts.

The Gen II EV1 was released for the 1999 model year. Major improvements included more powerful (and lighter) lead-acid batteries, giving a range of up to 100 miles; significant weight reduction; a quieter cabin and reductions in the cost of production. A later switch to nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries would give the EV1 an ultimate range of up to 140 miles under ideal conditions, but the NiMH batteries required the use of a 220-volt charging station (and the Magne Charge magnetic induction charging paddle) instead of the 120-volt “convenience” charger, greatly limiting the ability to charge the EV1 on the road.

While lessees were passionate about their EV1s, GM was less so. Though some dispute this, it’s widely believed that General Motors was losing significant money on each car leased, likely due to the expense of development and the EV1’s low-volume production. Bob Lutz, who would later go on to champion the Chevrolet Volt, estimated that each EV1 assembled cost GM $250,000, yet leased for no more than $550 per month. Furthermore, CARB had softened its stance on ZEVs, eliminating the 10 percent mandate. In 1999, General Motors shuttered the EV1 assembly line, though the automaker continued leasing cars in selected cities (expanded to include Palm Springs, San Francisco, Sacramento, Phoenix and Tucson). In February of 2002, GM notified lessees that it would be taking the cars off the road at lease end, and that owners would have no option beyond returning the cars to the automaker for destruction.

Though critics saw the EV1 as a financial and public relations failure for General Motors, the car pioneered technology that would later prove profitable in both electric and hybrid vehicles. The EV1 debuted the Magne Charge magnetic induction charger for added safety, eliminating the need for metal on metal contact when recharging the batteries. While not the first car to use NiMH batteries (Both the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda EV Plus also relied on this battery technology.), the EV1 did teach GM valuable lessons on battery thermal management, which were later used in the series hybrid Chevrolet Volt’s development. The same is true of the EV1’s regenerative braking system, which would later be developed for use on a range of GM hybrid vehicles.

The EV1 also contributed much to GM’s contemporary car designs. Its frame used aluminum to save weight, a production technique now adopted by GM on select production cars to reduce weight. It came with a tire pressure monitoring system, now a required standard feature of new cars. The EV1 was also one of the first GM models to use an electric power steering system, another feature that automakers have widely embraced to maximize fuel economy on modern automobiles. Even the EV1’s aerodynamic shape helped to influence contemporary car design, promoting the use of features like “grille shutters” to reduce drag on cars built specifically for exceptional fuel economy.

Viewed on its own, the EV1 was not a financial success for General Motors. In light of what the car contributed to automotive engineering, however, the money spent on its creation could easily be justified as an investment in the future of the automobile.

Longtime GM executive Bob Stempel, who rose to the rank of GM CEO in the Nineties, died Monday at his home in Florida at the age of 77.

Most of the obituaries note that Stempel was ousted as GM’s chairman following a stormy two-year tenure that ended in 1992. The boardroom coup that ended in his removal focused mostly on financial and restructuring issues. Not all of them mention that Stempel, a native of Trenton, New Jersey, was a total car enthusiast and an outstanding engineer. He was part of the team that designed the first Oldsmobile Toronado, developed the workable catalytic converter, brought Saturn into existence, and enthusiastically backed the EV1 electric car, which never made it to widescale production. Stempel also had the poor fortune to follow Roger Smith, whose market-shedding tenure was lampooned by filmmaker Michael Moore, into the chairman’s seat. The above GM photo shows Stempel (left) at the first Saturn’s rollout in 1990, flanked by (from left) UAW president Owen Bieber, Smith and Saturn president Skip LeFauve.